Recovery of ancient bioclimatic strategies for energy retrofit in historical buildings: the case of the Infants’ Tower in the Alhambra

Medieval Muslim architects in al-Andalus employed intuitive bioclimatic strategies to mitigate extreme Mediterranean climates, with a focus on passive cooling and thermal comfort. A study on the Infants’ Tower in the Alhambra of Granada reveals that its eight mashrabiyas (lattice windows) significantly enhance indoor thermal comfort during summer through natural ventilation. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling, researchers demonstrated how these ancient design elements optimize energy efficiency while preserving historical integrity. The findings highlight the potential for integrating traditional bioclimatic solutions into modern energy retrofit projects for heritage buildings.

Di Turi, S., García-Pulido, L. J., Ruggiero, F., & Stefanizzi, P. (2017). Recovery of ancient bioclimatic strategies for energy retrofit in historical buildings: the case of the Infants’ Tower in the Alhambra. Energy Procedia, 133, 300–311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2017.09.391